Apparatus for guiding automobiles into position for service



' Dec. 25, 1928.

f A. c. lsBELL APPARATUS FOR GUIDINQ AUTOMOBILES INT0 PosITI'r-on sERvIcE Filed June 50, 1928 .alla

z--f-f muy Patented Dec. 25, 1928i.`

UNITED `STATES is. 1,696,238g

ARTHUR C. ISBELL, OF IVORYTON, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR GUIDING AUTOMOBILES INTO POSITION FOR SERVICE.

This invention relates to apparatus which is designed to automatically guide an automobile over a washing, greasing or repair pit in a garage, or onto a washing, greasing,

repair or loading trestle at a service station, or onto an elevator, so that all danger of the car dropping into the pit, or ott from the trestle, or from hitting the sides of the elevator', will `be eliminated regardless of the angle of approach and thus injury to the car or to an attending mecha-nic will be avoided and the car will be located in position to faciliate greasing, repairing, washing or loading.

In attaining this end a frame adapted to be set into a garage floor, or other floor or platform, at the front of the pit, trestle or elevator, is provided with angularly arranged freely rotating rollers the widest spread of which is approximately the same as the distance apart of the guard rails that are `usually located along the edges of a pit orare fastened on a trestle. Below these deflecting rollers is a table which is supported by rolls on shafts held in bearings in the frame in such manner that the table is free to move from side to side.

Fastened on the top of and movable with the table is an apron of such size that it will cover the openings between the ends of the table and frame in all positions of the table.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows a plan of one form of the apparatus located in the Hoor in front of a pit in a garage or service station. Fig. 2 is a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section-on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 on Fig. 1.

The frame 1 which is rectangular in outline is desirably formed of T-iron, and is designed to be set into an opening that eX- tends across the front of thepit or trestle, with the outer flanges resting on the floor or platformv at the edges of the opening. The deflecting rollers 2, the angular relation of which may be varied as desired, are shown as supported at their spread ends by blocks 3 fastened to one side rail of the frame and at their adjacent ends by a block 4 fastened to the other side rail of the frame. The blocks so support these rollers that their widest distance apart is approximately the width apart of t-he guard rails 5 which are shown along the edges of the pit 6.

serial No. 289,510. Y

Extending transversely `across the frame and supported at their ends by the downwardly extending flanges of the side rails are shafts 7 on-which are rolls 8. Mounted on these rolls is the table E), the width of which is approximately the same as the width of the opening in the frame and the length of which is somewhat shorter than the opening in the frame so that the table may move longitudinally in the frame on these rolls. iron with reinforcing webs 10 to give it sufficientstrength to support an automobile. Fastened on top of the table is an apron l1 that extends sidewise beyond the ends of the table a sufficient distance to cover the openings between the ends ofthe table and the end rails of the frame at alltimes .as the table is movedfrom side to side. Springs 12 may be attached between studs 13 that extend downward from the under side ofthe tablea and the end rails of the, frame to normallyretain the table in central position in the frame.

lith this apparatus in place when a car is driven toward the pit, or trestle, or elevater, at any angle and'one of its front wheels encounters one of the oblique defiecting rollers fixed on top of the frame, that roller wedging aga-inst the wheel the tire of which has considerable friction on the table causes the table to move transversely and carry the car sidewise in `such a direction that on the continuedforward movement of,

the car it will run centrally over the pit, or onto the trestle, or onto the elevator', regardless of the angle at which the car approaches and the wheel hits the deflecting roller and of the distance it is on one side or the other of the center line of the pit, trestle or elevator. As the deflecting rollers turn freely and the table moves easily from side to side the car wheels Ydo not ride up on the rollers but are guided to a practically uniform position over the pit, or onto the trestle, or onto the elevator, before which this apparatus is placed. This apparatus is cheap to construct as it is made up of readily obtained elements,`and it is simple toinstall in the desired place of use. The elements are assembled and the apparatus is shipped and installed in place of use as a unit and when located it eliminates all danger of aY car dropping into a pit or off from a trestle.

The invention claimed 1s:

1. An apparatus for guiding an automo-` The table may be made of east bile into service position comprising a table mounted to move transversely across 'the service position and freel)r rotating rollers ixed in position and extending obliquely across` said table.

2. An apparatus for guiding an automobile into service position comprising a frame a table movable lengthwise of the frame and freely rotating rollers mounted in bearings lined to the sides of the frame and extending obliquely across the table.

3. An apparatus `for `guiding an automo bile into service position comprising a frame, angularly arranged freely rotating rollers mounted on the frame and a table supported by the trame and movable transversely of and beneath said rollers.

et. An apparatus for guiding an automobile into service position comprising frame, rolls supported by the trame, a table movablt7 mounted on said rolls and angularly related rollers mounted on the 'trame and extending obliquely across the table.

5. An apparatus for guiding an automobile into service position comprising a mounted on said rollsl and movable in said traine, aprons extending from said table over the opening between the table and trame, and angularly related rollers mount ed. on the frame and extending obliqnely across the table.

7. An apparatus for guiding an automobile into service position eoniprising a reetangular frame, shafts extending transversely of and mounted in the sides of the frame, rolls on said shafts, a table Inovably supported by said rolls, and angularly related rollers mounted on tbe sides ot the frame and extending obliquely across the table.

ARTHUR C. ISBELL. 

